ASA Rules Against OddsChecker’s Haaland and Kane Posts While Betway Ad Remains Compliant

(AsiaGameHub) –   The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has once again scrutinized gambling promotions, this time focusing on separate advertisements from OddsChecker and Betway.

In November 2025, a researcher from the University of Bristol filed a complaint regarding two Instagram posts by OddsChecker, alleging they violated advertising regulations by featuring individuals with a high appeal to minors.

The first post on the oddscheckertv account displayed England captain Harry Kane alongside the text, “Harry Kane is the most backed player to win the Ballon d’Or in 2026 (32% of bets) [trophy emoji]”.

The second post, also from oddscheckertv, featured Manchester City striker Erling Haaland with the caption, “NORWAY ARE THE MOST BACKED TO WIN 2026 WC”.

The accompanying text noted, “In the last 24 hours, Norway to win the 2026 World Cup is the most backed bet placed through oddschecker. […] Their price has shortened to a general 50/1 but there is still 80/1 available with a couple of bookmakers… [eyes emoji]”.

Although OddsChecker argued the posts were “primarily editorial in nature,” the ASA determined their intent was to drive traffic to bookmakers via the OddsChecker comparison platform.

The regulator classified the posts as advertorials that encourage gambling, thereby bringing them under the jurisdiction of the CAP Code.

The ruling stated: “We considered that it would have been acceptable for gambling ads which featured individuals likely to be of strong appeal to children to appear in a medium where those aged under 18, for all intents and purposes, could have been entirely excluded from the audience. That would apply in circumstances where those who saw the ads had been robustly age-verified as being 18 or older.

“The CAP Guidance on Gambling and lotteries: protecting under-18s, gave an indication of the risk level of the inclusion of persons in gambling ads. It stated that UK footballers, who played for top clubs, UK national teams or in high-profile competitions, and non-UK ‘star’ footballers, with a significant audience in the UK, were likely to be at high risk of being of strong appeal to under-18s.”

The ASA concluded that both advertisements were “irresponsible,” violated the CAP Code, and prohibited their future use in the complained-of format.

No action needed for Betway

Betway’s advertisement avoided sanctions, with the ASA finding no breach of UK advertising standards.

The post, which appeared on the operator’s Instagram in November 2025, was reviewed following “complaints received and intelligence gathered by the ASA”.

It featured Thierry Henry alongside the Betway logo and the quote: “FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, I CAN SEE THIS TEAM WINNING THE LEAGUE – NOT JUST AS AN ARSENAL FAN, BUT AS A FOOTBALL FAN AND AN ANALYST […]”.

The post added, “Thierry Henry talks about Arsenal’s squad depth […] Read our global ambassador’s latest interview via the link […] 18+ GambleAware”.

The University of Bristol researcher also challenged this ad, claiming Henry’s presence appealed to those under 18.

However, the ASA determined that Henry’s current role as a football pundit reduced his appeal to younger audiences.

Betway argued that Henry’s age and current media profile resonated primarily with adult UK viewers. Data provided by the operator showed that as of 16 December 2025, Henry had 4.32 million global Instagram followers, with only 4.1% (177,120) being under 18. Of those, Betway estimated only 19,483 were based in the UK, a figure well below the threshold for “strong appeal” defined by CAP guidelines.

The ruling stated: “CAP Guidance stated that retired footballers who had moved into punditry would be assessed on the basis of their social and other media profile. We therefore assessed the appeal he was likely to have based on his punditry. We understood that it was primarily for CBS Sports, an American network not available in the UK.

“He also made guest appearances on Sky Sports’ MNF Premier League coverage. We considered live Premier League games could be of strong appeal to UK under-18s.

“However, we also considered that Thierry Henry’s role as one of a group of pundits, whose discussion of performance and tactics was at a remove from the game, would not hold the same interest for young people as players and managers. We therefore considered that his TV appearances were unlikely to make Thierry Henry of strong appeal to under-18s.

“For those reasons, we concluded that the ad was not of strong appeal to people aged under 18. We investigated the ad under CAP Code (Edition 12) rules 16.1, 16.3 and 16.3.12 (Gambling), but did not find it in breach. No further action necessary.”